Heel cover to protect bowling alleys



H. T. NICHOLS HEEL COVER- TO PROTECT BOWLING ALLEY June 19, 1945.

Filed Jan. 29, 1945 yENTOR BY r RNEYS Patented June 19, 1945 -E 2,378,721

' r 2,378,721 I I HEEL COVER TO PROTECT BOWLINGv a -ALLEYS 1 T,Ha rwm r eew te I. g flApplicationJanuary29,1945;Serial-No. 575,011

I 'ielaims- (C 3 f- :l j L I. fl'lilsinventionrelates to a'cover for the heels of This'device comprisesapad- 5, which may be shoes,andparticularly a cover for heels of shoes of any suitable material, butispreferably of flexiofbowlers 'to p'rotect the alleys-and has for an bleleather as this effectivelyprotects the surobject'to provide a simple and effective conface 'of-the alley and is of light .welght so as not struction which maybe easily and quickly applied to add material weight or bulk to'the shoe. It

to and removed from theheels of the shoes, and also can bemade ofa surface so as to prevent will"cover the lower face of the heels so as to slipping; 'I'have found a verysatisfactory maprotect the surface of the alley from smearing or terial to be a flexible leather. This pad includes 7 black marks made by rubbing off of part "or the A a body portion 6 adapted to cover the lower material of composition" heelsj'or injury from '1 face of the heel I, and includes an upwardly exnails or such elements. s tending portion 8 at its forward edge adapted It is also'an object-to provide such a device to bepositioned andlie in front of the upwardly which'may bemanufa'ctured at low cost so as to extending front wall 9 of the heel andcooperate be'suppliedto bowlers at much less expense than therewith to holdthe cover from sliding backspecl'albowlingshoesl' f ward. I I

' Another "object" is to provide a construction j At each 0f the'fopposite side edges of the bo y which will not need stitching and riveting and portion 6 and the flange portion 8 are ears I0 and the like forming "theparts' or securingthem II respectively, extending upwardly so as to lie together. v a along the opposite sides of the heel and heel end -i1 t f e jfig a of t in vie I go portion I2 of the shoe, and a flexible securing have-devised? the construction illustrated in the means is connected to these ears and p es accompanying drawing forming a part of this over the upper edge of the rear end portion I2 of specification. It is, however, to be understood the 'shoe', as shown inFigr-l. The ears I!) and II thedevice is not limited to the" specific details of on'each side are connected together so as to hold construction "and arrangement shown; but'ima'y the forward portion 8 of th p in a n ly embody various changes and modifications withupright position to lie in front of the forward inthe scopeoftheinvention. wall 9 of the-heel, and also to form openings I4 In'the drawing: w j g at the opposite forward corners of the pad to Fig. lis aside elevationv of the heel end portion receivethe corners I5 of the heel, which therefore 'of the" shoe-showing "my improved cover applied also hold the Dad, by en ing the edges f the I a opening, against slipping backwards. As the thereto;

Fig; 2 isa bottoinplan view'thereof; flexible securing means I3 holds it against slid- Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view showing how I m8 forwardly the pad is effectively secured in the side ;ears and. the securing band are fasposition on the'lieel. The securing means l3 may tened together without stitching or'riveting, and '35 be of any suitable flexible material, but is prefer- Fig. 4 is a development showing how the cover ably an elastic band secured to the ears I0 and may be-cut from a strip of leather or similar II and passing over the heel end portion of the materialtoreducewaste to aminimum. shoe, and is of suchlength that it is stretched Serious injur is often caused to the surface When applied to the shoe so as to securely hold of bowling alleys by bowlers using ordinary shoes, 40 the padin place. by nail or otherparts of the heels, and with g This securing band can also be used for securrubber or composition heels the material rubs ofi g the ears I!) and II together, thus doing away onto the surface of the alley smearing it and also with stitching or riveting or similar means, which causing relatively sticky parts on the surface. might be pt toeeparate and permit the ears to Also, heels of regular shoes are apt to slip on the come apart, and it also materially reduces the alleys causing the bowler'to fall and be injured. cost of manufacture. For this P p th ars It is not practicable to require bowlers to always l0 and II are pierced with openings l6 and I1 use special bowling shoes, and besides, such shoes sp t vely adjacent their upp r 1 fr ends, are relatively expensive. To overcome these oba d t h band 13 iepassed inwardly hr h Jections I have devised a simple and effective pad the openings I1 and I6 with the ears in overwhich may be easily and quickly mounted so as l pped'relation, over the uppe ges ofthe ears to cover the lower surface ortne heel and pro- 8115i en downwardly nd r ardly again teot the surface of the alley from injury, and through thesopening I1, as clearly indicated in they also may be made of material which will ig- 3Lwith+its free end I8 lying between the two not be apt to slip and cause injury to the bowler. as ears I an By d w h b nd t the be reduced to a minimum.

It will be clear from the above that these protective pads or covers are of very simple con-- prising a pad adapted to cover the lower face of a heel, an upwardly extending flange at the forward end of the pad adapted to lie in front of the forward wall of the heel, upwardly extending ears at the opposite edges of the pad and flange each provided with an opening adjacent its free end, a securing means comprising a flexible strip passing through the openings in the overlapped ears on each side, then extending over the free edges of the ears and again through one of the openings so that its free end extends between the ears and the overlapped ears are secured together,

' and said securing means also adapted to pass struction and may be manufactured at lowcostw that they may be very easily and quickly applied of the heel, and when the heel has corners; with these front corners of the heel. in the openings; l4, and passing the band l3 over the upper por-v tion of the heel end of the shoe. They'are' as easil removed bymerely sliding ofi thebandjil. These covers will efiectivelycover the lower face of the heel to prevent marring or smearingyof the surface of the alley-by rubbing off of, the material of the heel or by inj f from nails: onsimilar articles, and also will provide asurface which will not slip. onthesurfaceof the alley sufliciently to cause injury to the bowler. Having thus set forth the nature of my ,invention, what I claimis: l a

1. A heel cover of the character, described com-,- prising a pad including a body portion adapted tocover the lower face, of a heel and av forward portion adapted to extend upwardly at the front edge of the heel, upwardly extending earsat the side edgesoi the body and forward portions secured together to form openingsito, receive the forward corners of the heel to holdthe pad from sliding backwards on the heel, and a, flexible securing means connected to theears and adapted to pass over the upper part of the heel end, of, a shoe to hold the-pad on the heel. 1 V

2 A heel cover of the character describedcom prising a pad adaptedto cover the lower. face of a heel, an upwardly extending flange atthe forward end of the pad adapted to lie in front'of the forward wall of the heel, upwardly extending ears at the opposite edges of the padand flange, said ears on each side being, connected together andadapted toengage-opposite sides of the heel to hold the padin place, and a flexible securing means connected to the ears and adapted to pass over the upper part of the heel end of the shoe to hold the pad in placeonthe heel. 3. A heel cover of the character described comaround the upper part of the heel end of the shoe to hold the pad in place on the heel with said ears atthe opposite sides thereof.

4. A heel cover of the character described comprising a pad adapted to cover the lower face of a heel, an upwardly extending flange at the forward end of the pad adapted to lie in front of the-forward wallof the heel upwardly extending ears at the opposite edges of the pad and flange, said ears on each side being connected together to form openings adapted to receive the forward corners of the heel andcooperate-therewith to hold the pad from sliding backward on the heel, said ears on each side also adapted to lie against the side of the heel to hold the pad againstlateral movement, and a flexible elastic connected to the earsoneach side and adapted to pass around the upper partof the heel end of the shoe to retain the pad place onthe heel.

heel cover of the character described: comprising a pad including-a, body portion adapted to cover the lower'face of a heel and a forward portion adaptedto extend-upwardly at the front edgeof-v the. heel, upwardly extending ears at the side edges of the'b'ody and forward portionseach provided with an opening adjacent its free end, a flexible elastic passing through the openings in the two ears on the: opposite side edgesofth pad while. in overlapped relation and then passing over. a free edge ofthe ears and againthrough one of the openings. so its free end is between the ears tothus secure the ears together and form an opening between them adapted to receive a forward corner of the heel and cooperate therewith to hold the pad from sliding backward on the heel, said elastic-being adapted'to pass around the upper portionof the. heel end of'the shoe to retain the pad in place on the heel, and the ears being also adapted to engagethe sides of the heel to holdthe padagainst lateralmovement.

f HARRY T. NICHOLS. I 

